Most soft pack side air bag module designs in production today have the electrical connector hidden inside the cushion. That is, the inflator assembly and the electrical wire harness are first assembled and then placed inside the cushion. Such a design forces the cushion and inflator attachment scheme to have a large opening for inflator insertion and then the opening is closed by fabric flaps. Such a design causes a large amount of gas leakage around the inflator. Most of the time the leakage is not consistent, if not uncontrollable, since the gas pressure at the initial stage of inflation is very high due to high gas inflation rate and small volume prior to unfolding.
This invention solves these issues with exposed electrical connection, minimizing leakage and optimizes cushion strength. Furthermore, exposed electrical connection may ease the manufacturing step during the assembly of the air bag module since the attachment of electrical wires can be done at the last stage. In addition, the electrical wire harness with connector thereon can be routed in the seat prior to installation of the air bag module and is ready for connection to the exposed electrical termination or connector on the air bag inflator. This access may lead to possible cost saving.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a side air bag module including: an inflator 140, and air bag 102 and a retainer 150, the inflator having inflation ports 145 and a first and a second end 142, 144, the inflator configured to be inserted through a first opening of a first set of openings in a upper portion 104a of a main panel 105 and configured to exit the upper portion of the main panel through a second opening of the first set of openings, wherein when the inflator is in place in the air bag, the first and second ends of the inflator respectively extend through one of the first and second openings, the main panel 105 also including a lower portion 104b connectable to the upper portion thereby forming the main panel, a reinforcement panel 130 and the lower portion including similarly shaped, spaced and aligned sets of openings through which the inflator extends; the retainer is situated about the extending ends of the inflator on the exterior of the air bag. In one embodiment the reinforcement panel is part of the upper portion of the main panel and is movable so that the openings in the reinforcement panel and in the upper panel are in alignment. In another embodiment the reinforcement panel is a separate panel.